Dealing with the dreaded grapes (...hemorrhoids)

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I am 23 weeks pregnant and my hemorrhoids have got so bad.

They first started late in my first pregnancy and never went away fully. (C-section delivery anyway)

Please can you share your tips for relief as I am so uncomfortable.

I have tried the Germanies cream and suppositories. They sooth it for a very short time but haven't improved things whatsoever.

Also- if I have a natural delivery this time, will said hemorrhoids get worse!?

Have no idea if having a natural delivery would be better as I had 3 c section.
But things to help diet. Get that fibre & lots of water in you.
Try one of those donut pillows when your sitting down.
Really feel for you. They are so uncomfortable x

From my experience you have to wait for them to settle down naturally and with the use of suppositories and ointments. Try having an anal fissure as well as Chalfonts. Piles need creams that reduce the blood supply and the anal fissure needs creams that increase it - miserable bloody experience!

I found witch hazel gel really soothing and and shrank them quickly. I was considering surgery too.

I'm Not pregnant tho so check If save to use

I had some a while ago, increased water intake massively and didn't push at all. So painful. Always paranoid about getting them again. I just invested in a squatty potty, well worth it, check out the vid:

peaches my DH bought me a squatty potty but I'm afraid I don't push at all. TMI: it's when I have loose stools (80% of the time). So would more fibre just make it even worse? Possibly not.

Thesquashyhat I think they are piles although I haven't had it diagnosed. The MW last time just told me to get it under control before I delivered.

I wonder if the GP will see a visit pointless as I'm. It sure what else can be done?

Oh! I have also seen other threads on here which talk about taking two supplements: lactulose and something else, well worth a search.

I've had a fissure and wanted to die each time I had to go, worse than gallstones and labour combined. What you can use is Prep H wipes, they are expensive but would help soothe and also Laxido if your able to help keep things fluid. Water and fibre intake are important too.

Never wish that pain on anyone (ok a few) but wishing you all best

Thank you gryffen I'm going to search prep h wipes and laxido. Kind of you to recommend.

You can buy Laxido over counter at chemist or on prescription, it does taste of oranges but you can get a neutral flavour- just use ice cold water.

Prep H do work, have you a bath at home? A dettol bath works well too - stings a tiny bit then relax.

On laxido myself at moment as I feel my system has slowed down like crazy 😥😭

A dettol bath- that's an idea.

I have very loose stools, so maybe the laxido will make it worse.

Movicol...I've been using it in my second pregnancy, as I'm terrified of getting them again like I had with my first, and I only had her 10 months ago!

Also, what made things 100 times worse for me was those bastard pregnicare tablets...without a doubt a huge source of major constipation. I have had to stop taking them as like I said, I can't go back to how it was.

Yep - Movicol or Laxido are both Macgrol so will help ease constipation by increasing water in the stool - great for various reasons but you can also get Lactulose that only helps slide it out easier (laxido is better imho than lactulose)

Do NOT use laxido if you have loose stools as it could be explosive but yeah these bloody pregnancy vitamins are lethal for blocking up the exhaust LOL

Go to GP. They can prescribe something more powerful

On the birth side: my piles got bigger in pregnancy and I gave birth 2 weeks ago. At first it felt like my piles had grown to the size of my fist - and they had got a lot bigger. 2 weeks on with use of germoloids and they’re nearly all shrunk back (to pre-pregnancy size )

Speak to your GP.

I’ve had this before and I had a recent flare during pregnancy. Speak to your GP and get steroid cream. They will first recommend you try Anusol with HC (that you can buy in the chemist) and then prescribed something stronger if that does not work. Mine were excruciating but were sorted in a week and are no longer painful.

speckyb oh fab thanks for the advice. I didn't know if they would be able to prescribe something stronger than Germaloids. I will also try anusol.

Dryheve ouch that sounds painful- glad Germaloids worked for you. I think the lidocaine masks the pain for a while but doesn't seem to shrink mine.

I've just got these for the first time in pregnancy too, I'm 38 weeks and so worried about them getting bigger during labour!
I've been applying Germaloid cream but it doesn't seem to be shrinking them.
One thing I read and it really seems to be working is witch hazel.
Soak a cotton ball in it before bed and push it right up onto the piles. Then wear knickers to hold it in place so the ointment can work over night. I'm sure this is shrinking them after just a few days. Good luck!!